Stuck in the Death Note Universe (Not Like It's a Bad Thing)
by LolaLizTay
Summary: Three girls are hiking to a family member's cabin, when an accident sends them into the world of their favorite anime. Using their knowledge, the girls help L and the rest of the Task Force catch Kira-although his identity is already known to them. But they can't give this information away without being suspected themselves.
1. 1 - Emily

My cousin, Amanda, her roommate, Ariel, and I were hiking through the woods. My aunt-on my mom's side-has a cabin in northwestern Michigan, and that's where we were headed.

"Ariel, stop it. You're gonna kill her," I scolded playfully.

Amanda was a few feet ahead of me, doubled over laughing hysterically at Ariel's impersonation of my brother. Ariel nodded, and Amanda tried to calm herself. She stood up a little too suddenly, and stumbled... and she fell... right into a hole in the ground.

"Oh, shit!" I said, running over to the hole. What the hell was it even doing there? "May-May? You 'kay down there?"

Ariel got on her knees next to me. "Yeah, are you alright?"

Amanda groaned in response. "My ass is sore, but I'm fine."

I sighed with relief. "Hold on... We're gonna get ya out."

"Oh, lovely."

Ariel scowled down at her friend. "Oh, shut up and grab our hands."

We reached down, and Amanda reached up and grabbed our hands. We tried to pull her up, but my other hand slipped, and suddenly I was falling myself-bringing Ariel with me.

"Oi!" Amanda shouted. Only then did I realize we had fallen on her, and I laughed at that fact.

"Good goin', Em..." Ariel grumbled, rubbing her head. Geez, maybe that will knock some sense into her.

"Ah, shut it. I didn't do it on purpose."

"Don't start bickering yet. Save that until we get out of here. My claustrophobia's kicking in," Amanda said, pushing me and Ariel off her and standing up.

"Let's lift Amanda up first. She's stronger."

I nodded in agreement, and joined hands with Ariel. Amanda put her foot on our joined hands, and we lifted her up.

"Um, guys...?"

"What?" Ariel and I said in unison.

"Are we in Japan?"

I sighed. "Amanda, for the LAST time: we live in MICHIGAN."

"Then why the hell is everything in Japanese?"

Ariel and I exchanged glances. We hoisted Amanda up the rest of the way, and she helped Ariel up, then the two of them pulled me up. I looked around... and froze.

"Ho..."

"...ly..."

"...shit."

I didn't know exactly where we were, but it was somewhere in Japan.

And something about it all seemed familiar...


	2. 2 - Amanda

"I told you," I said triumphantly.

Emily glared at me.

"Okay, guys... No fighting... Not until we know where we are..."

"Well, uh, let's jog into that café and have a drink... try and figure it out..." Emily said.

"Oh, you just want coffee," I teased.

"Shut up," she muttered, shuffling into the cafe. Ariel and I followed her.

We sat down and looked at the menu.

"Um, Amanda..."

"What?" I looked up at Ariel.

"The menus are in Japanese... but I understand them perfectly..."

"I do, too," Emily said, "and I didn't even take Japanese."

I didn't respond; I couldn't. I just stared over Ariel's shoulder.

"Amanda...?" Ariel turned around, and gasped at the sight before us.

We were staring at the back of Light Yagami's head...

Ariel spun back into place, and shrunk in her seat. "Shit, shit, shit..."

"Well, now we know where we are..." Emily piped up.

"Is L with him?"

"I-I think so... It has to be him... I don't know anyone else who looks like that... Oh crap!" I quickly hid my face.

"We should go..." Ariel whispered.

"Not yet," Em said. "We'll seem suspicious."

"How?"

"Well, Amanda was practically undressing L with her eyes..." I blushed. "Don't you think it'd be suspicious if we just got up and left?"

I slapped Em upside the head. "Okay, one: I was NOT undressing L with my eyes. And, two: you're right. It would be awfully odd if we left right after arriving-especially without ordering."

"I have an idea." Ariel pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Oh, shit! We're gonna be late!"

Emily and I feigned panic, and the three of us quickly got up and ran from the building.

"That was a believable performance," Emily said, applauding.

"Oh, and Amanda, if we ever actually make contact with L, PLEASE don't do what you said you'd do if you met him..."

I scowled at Ariel, but turned it into a teasing grin. "No promises. I mean, ya know... he's irresistible..." I whispered the last part a little too seductively for my own comfort.

Ariel only shook her head, while Emily laughed at me.

After she was done laughing her lungs out, Em spoke up, "We should find a place to stay."

"She's right."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair-a sign that I was deep in thought.

"The hotel you-know-who-don't you dare say Voldemort, Em-is staying at..." I snapped my fingers repeatedly. "What was it called?"

"Dunno," Ariel said, "but I think I'll be able to find it. Let's go."

We wandered around for what seemed like an hour, until Ariel finally found the hotel. The three of us stared at it for a few seconds, it looked just like it did in the anime-just a bit more... realistic. After a moment, we went inside. Can you imagine three equally-awkward girls standing there arguing about who had to check in? Well, I imagine it had to be hilarious for onlookers. Finally, we decided that Ariel-who was a bit more out-there than the rest of us-would do it.

She walked up to the front desk and checked in, then returned, holding three keys.

"Here ya guys go," she said, handing the other two keys to me and Emily.

We walked to the elevator and stepped inside. Before the doors closed, another person entered.

Oh, shit... I thought. It can't be...

L was standing right next to us.


	3. 3 - Ariel

I mentally cursed when L entered the elevator.

Play it cool, Garcia... Play it cool...

We had what seemed like a million floors until we hit ours, so it seemed like we'd be there a few minutes.

I noticed he was staring at me, and Emily frantically tugged on my arm.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"Take off your belt!" she hissed.

I looked down. Oh, shit! My Death Note belt! When L wasn't looking, I quickly took off the belt and shoved it in my bag.

I glanced over at Amanda, who I could tell was trying her hardest not to look at L. It isn't everyday you're standing in an elevator with your favorite anime character.

After spending seemingly hours in the elevator, it hit the floor our room was on. Guess who's room was also on that floor. If you guessed L, kudos to you. We three girls let L go first, and lagged behind him, because it seemed our rooms were also in the same direction.

When we got to our room, we entered quickly and slammed the door shut. Oops? We all collapsed in different places-me on the couch, Emily in the chair by the desk, and Amanda in front of the door.

After a five minute silence, Emily yelled, "I'm hungry!"

Amanda groaned, rolling onto her back and propping her self on her elbows. "I am, too. Like, seriously."

"I saw a bakery on the way here... We could get a few cupcakes or something..." I said.

"Oh. My. God! Yes, please!" Amanda made a bunch of weird moaning noises.

"Amanda, save those for L..." Emily said, giggling into her hand.

"Shut up, ya dumb blonde!"

"At least mine is natural!"

"Stop it, you two," I snapped. They immediately shut their mouths and stared at me. "Thank you."

Those two idiots always argue about who's dumber, although both of them always end up agreeing that they're equally stupid. Meh, I think I top them. It took me forever to figure out my favorite Fall Out Boy song was about sex.

"Can we please go to the bakery? We'll behave, we promise!" Amanda said.

"Yeah, swear!" Emily agreed.

I huffed. "Okay, let's go."

The two relatives screamed, "Yay!" and jumped up and ran out the door. I heard them chanting, "Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!" as they ran down the hall.

And they were headed towards the stairs. God dammit. I debated just locking the door, since they had left the keys where they had been laying, but I didn't once I remembered Amanda had the money. Oh well. I ran after them, and as I passed he-who-won't-be-named's room, I saw Matsuda staring at me from the doorway. He must have heard Amanda and Emily fangirling over the cupcakes. I ignored him and continued running after the two psychopaths.

**_((Hey, everyone. How's it going? I just wanted to take the time to tell you later pairings for the story. The pairings are *drumroll*:_**

**_Amanda x L_**

**_Ariel x Matsuda (Don't judge. I love my Matsuda-san. ^.^)_**

**_Emily x Near))_**


	4. 4 - Emily

After getting some cupcakes, we returned to our hotel room. I was watching Spongebob on the TV, Ariel was reading the Walking Dead book that was in my backpack, and Amanda was sifting through her stuff.  
"Um, guys?"  
"What is it, May-May?" I asked, peeling my eyes away from the TV.  
"I'm missing something..."  
"What are you missing?" Ariel looked at her.  
"Volume Seven..."  
"Oh, shit... That's the one with L on the cover..."  
"It must've fallen out when we ran from the café..." she said.  
I turned off the TV and stood up. "That isn't good... What if you-know-who found it?"  
Amanda gasped, and began to panic. "That would be bad! Really, really, really, really, really bad! Oh my god... Oh my god... Oh my fucking god..." She trailed off into a bunch of non-comprehendible noises and such.  
Ariel pushed herself out of the chair and walked over to Amanda, slapping her across the face. "Calm down. We'll find it before anything bad happens."  
Just then there was a knock at the door.  
"I'll get it," I said, running over to the door. I opened it up and asked, "Can I he—?"  
Touta Matsuda was standing at the door!  
"Uh, hello. My name is Taro Matsui."  
"How... How can I help you?"  
"Do you have a moment?" he asked.  
I felt my chest tighten. "S-Sure..."  
"Em, is everything okay-ay-ay-ay?" Ariel stumbled on her words when she saw who was in front of me.  
Matsuda cleared his throat awkwardly. Aw! He's more adorable than he was in the anime!  
"I need to speak with you ladies, if that's okay," he said.  
"I didn't do it!" Amanda yelled. I heard her dive under the table.  
"Just shut up and get over here," Ariel snarled. Amanda quickly obeyed. Ariel's scary when she's angry.  
"Come with me," Matsuda said. He sounded a bit reluctant. What the holy hell?  
We three girls nodded, and followed him.  
Oh my god... I thought. He's taking us to HIS room...  
He opened the door and allowed us to go in first-such a gentleman.  
"Ah, Matsuda, there you are."  
I know that voice...  
I looked over at Amanda, who I could tell was trying her hardest not to flip her shit.  
"I brought the girls you asked for," Matsuda told the owner of the voice.  
"Excellent. Bring them here."  
He led us farther into the room, where the rest of the Task Force was sitting-along with L.  
L stood and faced us, slouched with his hands in his pockets. "Hello. I am L, but for the time's being, call me Ryuuzaki."  
Amanda stepped forward, which surprised me. "I'm Akiko, this is Ayame and Akane." She motioned to me and Ariel with her hand.  
I'm Akane; Ariel's Ayame.  
"Welcome," he said, returning to his seat. "Have a seat."  
The three of us exchanged glances, walked over, and occupied the available seats. Ariel was in between Matsuda and Aizawa, I was next to Ukita, and Amanda was on the floor near L.  
"I assume you're wondering why you're here, am I right?" L asked, looking down at Amanda-who nodded. He held up his hand, and Watari walked over and put a book in his hand.  
Oh. My. God.  
"This fell out of your bag at the café," L said, flipping the book over in his hands multiple times before continuing, "and I noticed that this is myself on the cover."  
Amanda gulped, and Ariel shifted awkwardly in her seat. I couldn't respond at all-physically or verbally.

**_(So, here's my chapter... Amanda's taking a while to write hers... She's in college, so she doesn't have a lot of free time (*cough* she's lazy *cough*), and she's got major writer's block... It should be up soon...)_**


	5. 5 - Amanda

I took the book from him slowly. I was waiting for him to accuse one of us as Kira, but he merely asked the Task Force to leave the room so he could speak with us privately.  
"It's a long story," I said as soon as the door closed.  
"A REALLY long story," Ariel added.  
L looked at Emily, as if he expected her to add something on as well.  
She didn't.  
"Well, I'd be interested to hear the story," he said.  
"Maybe another time," I promised, feeling my face flush as he gazed down at me.  
_Dem grey eyes... Don't jump him... Don't jump him... _  
Where the hell is this coming from?  
After a few moments silence, Watari came into the room with a platter of strawberry cheesecake. My eyes followed the creamy deliciousness as he set in on the table in front of L.  
Speaking of L, we moved forward simultaneously.  
Emily noticed my movements and said, "Ah! Am—Akiko, down girl!"  
I fell back, whining, and whimpered, "But... But... But..."  
"Akane, be nice. She can have some if she wants."  
"Yay, Ayame!" I cheered, lurching forward and snatching the plate of cheesecake L was holding out of his hands.  
He glared at me slightly, but got himself another plate. He's lucky I love him so much, otherwise I would've taken that one, too...  
I kept my eyes on him as I ate the cheesecake. _Something was off... He trusted us way too quickly... Is this one of his tricks? He has Volume Seven in his possession, but did he read it? If I remember correctly, that's the one he dies in, and and finds out that he was right about Light all along just before he dies. He could use the book as his evidence that Light is Kira, but would the rest of the Task Force believe it?_  
"Akiko?"  
Snapping out of my thoughts, I realized L had been trying to get my attention.  
"Yes, Ryuuzaki?" I asked.  
"I asked you if you would like to join the case."  
I thought about it for a second. We could really help them... "S-Sure..."  
"Miss Ayame, would you go tell the others it's clear to come in?"  
Ariel nodded and quickly did as she was told. As the Task Force members entered the room, Matsuda accidentally bumped into Ariel and grabbed her arm to keep her from falling over. I could see both their faces turn red from where I was sitting; they matched Ariel's hair.  
Emily was giggling into her hand, most likely at the whole Matsuda-Ariel situation. She looked at me and mouthed, 'I ship it.'  
I nodded in agreement, repressing a grin.  
_Oh, boy... This will be fun..._  
**_(Ehh, bad chapter... But I wanted to get it done and over with so Ariel could start... Speaking of Ariel, she's gonna be replying to reviews since her chapters are the last in the bunch... M'kay, have fun reading! c: )_**


	6. 6 - Ariel

The Task Force was a bit skeptical when L told them that we would be joining the case—and by skeptical, I mean Aizawa and Yagami flipped their shit and screamed at L.  
When everything calmed, Amanda decided that we should go back to our room.  
As we exited, L called after Amanda, "Oh, and by the way, I was flattered by your opinion of me."  
I laughed at her expression; I have NEVER seen her blush so much. It took me a while to remember that she had written 'L is sexyyy' on the inside of the front cover.  
Let's just say Amanda fled the room pretty fast.  
Back in our own room, Amanda burrowed into the couch. She was still whining about L finding out about what she had written, but she hugged the book to her chest.  
I noticed she was shaking, so I asked, "Amanda, what's up?"  
"I can save him..."  
"What?"  
"L..." she said in a voice that matched L's usual monotone, "I can save him..."  
"May-May, don't be crazy..." Emily said.  
"But I can! I know what room Rem was in! I can do this!"  
I walked over and sat next to her. "Are you sure?"  
"Positive."  
I looked over at Emily with a look that said, 'Let her have this.'  
She nodded in response. I felt bad for Amanda... L was her favorite anime character, and she actually looked up to him despite the fact that he had been fictional... If she couldn't save him, I don't know what she'd do...  
"I'm tired..." Amanda yawned.  
"Then go to sleep..." I said.  
She nodded and got up, shuffling into the bedroom. I heard her fall on the bed.  
"Don't you want to change first?" I called to her.  
She groaned, appearing out of the room and grabbing her bag. She went into the bathroom and changed into her pajamas before returning to the room. After a while, Emily and I changed into our pajamas and joined her.  
Emily was the first to fall asleep, then Amanda, and finally me.  
Someone knocking on the door woke me up. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how I heard the knocking, considering the screaming coming from Amanda and Emily. With an almost irritated groan, I got out of bed and walked to the door, pulling it open.  
"H-Hello, Matsuda..." I greeted nervously.  
"Ayame-san..." He replied, sounding nearly as nervous as he looked. It took everything in me not to '_aww!_' and hug and kiss him.  
Emily appeared next to me, screaming, "Hi, Matsuda!"  
"Hey, Akane."  
"How's it goin'?" she asked.  
He shrugged. "Okay, I guess... Ryuuzaki sent me to get you..."  
"Okay, just let us get dressed and we'll be right there."  
He nodded. "Sure thing."  
I closed the door after he walked off, and forced Amanda and Emily to change before changing myself. I ushered them out the door, and we went to L's room.

**_(Bad chapter... Do you recall back in Chapter Two when I told Amanda not to do what she said she'd do if she met L? She said she'd 'Shove the scrawny bitch against the wall and fuck his brains out.' I know, right? Oh, and if you can guess where the next line comes from and who says it, you can get a character in the story or something... I don't know, I'm bored. 'Kay, here it is (it isn't the whole line, so good luck): 'One of history's most famous bullshitters...')_**

**_(*Edit* I forgot to reply to reviews the first time around, so here we go:  
Ultimatekaibafan- OMFG, aren't they great?!  
L.A.B.B. Murder Cases- Thanks, we will. Oh, and we love your username. We just got that book from the library today. c;  
Mindashii- You and our Amanda would get along really well. And I'm freaking in love with Matsuda. c:  
PsychoticallyObsessiveFangirl- Not even WE know... He's that unpredictable! O_o )_**


	7. 7 - Emily

"Hello, Ryuuzaki!" I said loudly as Ariel, Amanda, and I entered the living area of the hotel room.  
"Hello, Akane," he replied.  
"How is everyone?" I asked, looking around the room. Matsuda and Ukita are the only ones who responded properly. Aizawa rolled his eyes at me, and Ide kept silent. I frowned and took my usual seat next to Ukita. Amanda plopped down on the floor beside L, and Ariel sat between Matsuda and Aizawa.  
"You three arrived right on time."  
"Pardon?" Amanda looked up at L, who switched on the TV.  
_Aww, fuck_, I thought. _Here comes Amanda's least favorite part._  
I sort of tuned out, having heard/read most of this anyways, but I snapped back to Earth when Ukita charged out the door—with Matsuda yelling after him.  
I got up to go after him, hoping to prevent his death, but Aizawa stopped me. "It's too dangerous."  
"But... But..."  
"Akane!"  
I huffed and returned to my seat.  
Ariel and Amanda tried helping, but their efforts were pushed aside. I got over and walked over to L, sitting on my knees to his right.  
"Change the channel..." I mumbled.  
He obliged without question, and right there on the news was Ukita laying dead in front of the broadcast building.  
"Damn you Kira!" Aizawa screamed at the screen.  
As he went to go avenge Ukita, L stopped him, saying if he went then Ukita's death would have meant nothing. Furious, Aizawa grabbed the panda look-a-like's shoulder roughly and screamed at him. L's grip on his legs tightened. Looking back at Amanda, I saw she was giving the other man her famous _bitch I'll kill_ you look.  
My attention turned back the the TV just in time to see a van crash through the doors of the building.  
The only thing I could think was, _Yagami you did it._

**_(Okay, this chapter really sucks and it's _****SO****_ rushed, but I'm tired while writing this and it's been _****AGES****_ since I've read these chapters. In fact, I just finished the series today. ~cries~ Anyways, hopefully Amanda and Ariel's chapters will be better...)_**

**_(PS. Sorry it's so short...)_**


	8. 8 - Amanda

Just last night, Chief Yagami crashed through the doors of the broadcast building. He confiscated the tapes and brought them back to headquarters. L has Aizawa analyze them before he watched them.  
And now, there we were, sitting and watching the tapes with L. Although, there was nothing to watch. It was just the word 'Kira.' The audio is what was important.  
L said he wanted us to watch the tapes with him to assist him, but I think he really wanted to keep an eye on us.  
That's what we did all night. No conversation; we just watched the tapes. Ariel had fallen back on the couch, and Emily was sitting sideways in the other armchair. I knew both of them had fallen asleep, which left me and L.  
"I suppose you already know who Kira is."  
I nodded. "I do."  
"Care to share?"  
I shook my head. "Sorry. All I plan on doing here is saving a few lives." I looked up at him. "Besides, if you had read the manga when you had the chance, you would know."  
"I read it. I was only testing you."  
_Shocker._  
I turned to him, facing him completely. "Then you would know that Light Yagami is Kira. But I don't think a book will be proof enough."  
"Well, a certain book would be. I'm assuming you know where he keeps the method of killing, so you could go to his house pretending to be a new neighbor, steal it, and bring it back here so I can cross-reference the handwriting in the book with the handwriting on Light's schoolwork."  
Ah, so he did read the book. I don't think he knew of the existence of the Death Note at this point.  
"Or I could be completely honest and say I'm from the Task Force and you sent me to recruit him."  
"I was planning on asking him to join us... So I could observe him properly..."  
"See? This works out for both of us."  
"How would it benefit you?" he asked.  
I smirked. "I get to see my least favorite person lose the battle he thought so confidently that he would win. Can you imagine how painful that would be?"  
"Very, I would guess."  
"Exactly."  
"How do you plan on doing this?"  
"Hmm," I hummed thoughtfully. "I could approach his house, knock, tell him I'm from the Task Force and you sent me to interview him."  
"Good plan," L said.  
"I'm the tactical one in the group. I think ahead... sometimes."  
"When would you like to do this?"  
"Maybe later in the afternoon. I technically should still be in school, and I wouldn't want to make him suspicious."  
"Technically?" L raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah. I'm eighteen; nineteen in two days."  
"Oh, really?"  
I nodded.  
"Is there anything you would like?"  
"What?"  
_Okay, I'm confused._  
"Cake or something of the sort...?"  
"Oh. Well, I like cookies 'n' cream cupcakes."  
"Excellent. I'll send Watari out to get some."  
"You don't have to."  
"Maybe not," he said with an almost-smile, "but I think it would be a good way to repay you for your help."  
"If that's the case, shouldn't Ayame and Akane get something, too?" I asked.  
"Good point."  
"Thanks, I'm full of them."  
"Full of what? Yourself?" Ariel suddenly asked.  
"Ha! Don't joke like that, Ayame!"  
"How is that a joke?"  
I returned my attention to L. "I have the self-confidence of a walnut."  
"And her social skills are horrible," Ariel cut in.  
"And my social skills are horrible!" I repeated.  
"I see..." L muttered.  
"Yeah. Like yours, her social skills are probably about one out of ten."  
"Ayame's are maybe a two."  
"Maybe?"  
"Maybe." Ariel nodded. "I'm not very social either, but it's mostly because of my anxiety."  
"Anxiety?" L turned around in his chair to look at Ariel, who was now sitting cross-legged on the arm of the couch.  
"Yeah, I have social anxiety. I can't face social situations without freaking out."  
"And what about Akane?"  
"We don't know," I answered. "Her mom never really listened when we tried to tell her that her daughter may have mental problems."  
"Of course," Ariel added, "I don't think she really cared about Akane. I think she favored her brother like everyone else—which I don't get 'cause he's such a little shit."  
"Is he really that bad?"  
"Yeah! The little asshole poked holes in my Zombie Survival Guide! And he busted my laptop, and he stole my bl—" Realizing what I was about to say, I shut my mouth.  
"Stole your what?"  
I rested my head on my hand. "My razor blade..." I whispered.  
"We're all victims of self-harm," Ariel said.  
"Ariel was anorexic in middle school."  
"Mhm, but then I met Amanda and she helped me."  
L looked between the two of us, then over at Emily who was still fast-asleep in the armchair. "And her?"  
"Some high schoolers were bullying her, and she felt the only way to relieve the emotional pain was through physical pain. Once, she threatened to jump off the roof of her house."  
"That's horrible," L commented.  
"It is..." I glanced back at Emily, who stirred in her sleep.  
Finally, she groaned and, rubbing her eyes, sat up.  
"Mornin'!" Ariel said with a smile.  
"Morning," Emily grumbled in reply.  
"It's pretty early," I told her.  
"Yeah, I know..."  
"Well, it's a good thing you woke up. We have a plan to discuss," L said.  
_**(Hai everyone! Sorry for the long wait! We've all been busy with school work! Anyways, this chapter goes back into our backstory a bit. And, and, and, I know Ariel usually replied to reviews, but I couldn't help myself:  
StormFarron185- I KNOW RIGHT. I LAUGHED WHEN I FOUND OUT. L? UNATTRACTRIVE? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  
Oh, and, uh, before I forget... Is Emmy centering the text like she's supposed to? If so, let me know so I can give her a treat! ^-^  
See ya! And remember, don't do drugs!)**_


	9. 9 - Ariel (Co-written by Emily)

**_(During this chapter, it's gonna switch to third person, but you'll be able to tell when that happens.)_**  
When the Task Force arrived, we all crowded around L to watch the tapes (the Task Force hadn't seen them yet). I stood in front of Chief Yagami, leaning on the back of L's chair, Emily stood off to the side next to Mogi (the two of them had become friends), and Amanda was in the back behind Matsuda.  
L explained the tapes to Chief Yagami, telling him which tape to broadcast depending on the answer. He also explained that the Second Kira wanted him to make an appearance on TV and agree to cooperate with Kira. Amanda disagreed to that under her breath. But I guess Matsuda heard her because he patted her shoulder.  
Once there was a solid plan, the Task Force returned to their homes.  
The rest of the day passed fast.  
Amanda and L spent the time either re-watching the tapes or coming up with a plan to get the Death Note from Light. I was impressed, actually. Amanda was opening up to L and participating in the planning instead of being her usual socially-awkward self.  
They decided that she would do it tomorrow. L had sent Watari out to get her some 'innocent-looking' clothes, and since Amanda refused to tell him was sizes she wore, Emily went with Watari since they're practically the same size.  
After about an hour, I told L I was heading to the sushi joint to get some food, and promised to bring back some cupcakes for him. While waiting for my Nigirizushi, I pulled out my phone to see if I got any reception.  
Surprise, surprise, I didn't. I'll have to deal with that later.  
After I got my delicious sushi, I stopped at the bakery and got some strawberry shortcake cupcakes (they're really good and L loves strawberries so why not?) before making my way back to the hotel.  
I ate my sushi while L inhaled his cupcakes, and Amanda sat in her corner nom-ing the cookies Watari prepared for her before kidnapping Emily to get the clothes.  
"So what's the plan?" I asked.  
"We're going with Ryuuzaki's plan," Amanda said. "But I'm going to pose as Light's neighbor's niece instead of a new neighbor, seeing as—as much as I hate to admit it—Light is too smart to not question the lack of a moving truck or anything of the sort."  
"Akiko-san had also come up with a brilliant back story," L added.  
"Oh yeah? Lay it on me."  
Amanda cleared her throat. "My mum and dad were killed in a car crash, along with my older brother and sister. They were driving to pick me up from a friend's house to go to dinner. The crash happened right at the intersection at the end of said friend's street. Because of that, I'm emotionally unstable and extremely sensitive."  
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed.  
"I also convinced his neighbors to go along with it and introduce me themselves."  
Amanda seemed very proud of herself, and L looked proud, too.  
I also felt proud.

"Do I look silly?"  
"For the last time, Kiko, you look fine," Emily said.  
Amanda was dressed in white skinny jeans, with a baby blue tank top and light brown ankle cowgirl-ish boots. Watari even got her a nice leather jacket to match her boots.  
"Indeed, Akiko," L agreed, "You look fine."  
_That's his way of saying you look hot_, I thought towards Amanda, although she couldn't hear me.  
If only she could read minds.  
Watari checked his pocket watch (I screamed when I found out he had one), and informed Amanda that it was time to leave.  
On her way out the door, L stopped her and said, "Be careful, Akiko. If Light Yagami is Kira, and he catches on, you'll be in big trouble."  
Can you hear me internally screaming?  
Amanda smiled at the man. "Don't worry, Ryuuzaki. I have two older brothers and I used to steal stuff from them and play the sob-story card on them all the time."  
When she actually left, all we could do was hope she'd return.

Amanda turned onto Light's street, hands in her pockets, and approached the house to the left of his. She knocked on the door and a middle-aged man answered.  
"You must be Akiko," he said.  
"I am. And you're Mr. Shouto?"  
"That's me. Come on in." Mr. Shouto stepped aside and allowed Amanda in. "We arranged a dinner with the Yagami family. We are expected in an hour."  
"Alright," Amanda said, looking around. A middle-aged woman—who must have been Mrs. Shouto—emerged from the kitchen.  
"Oh, this must be the infamous L we've been hearing all about! You seem a bit young to be a detective."  
_Me? L? Oh, L, you sneaky little shit_, Amanda thought.  
Remembering the response L had told her, she said, "Age has nothing to do with intelligence."  
"I see," murmured Mrs. Shouto.  
Since there was an hour, Amanda hung out with the couple and went over her fake backstory with them. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.  
_Will Light buy it? Or will he see through my act? No, that's impossible. Emily and Ariel say you're an amazing actress. You can pull this off._  
Amanda fiddled with her fingers, trying to make herself look as nervous as she felt. She kept repeating in her head that everything would go okay. It had to.  
Just as expected, Light answered the door and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Shouto.  
"Light, this is our niece Akiko," Mrs. Shouto said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
"Hi, I'm Light."  
Amanda replied with a shy smile.  
"Come on in. Dinner's ready." Light let the three into the house. They made their way to the dining room and sat down.  
As Amanda began eating, she came to a horrifying realization.  
_Chief Yagami comes home for dinner! If he sees me, he'll give me away! Oh, shit! What do I do?!_  
She could feel her hands shaking as she forced more fish into her mouth. She hoped Light would pass it off as nervousness. If he even noticed.  
_Wait... How do I know Ryuk won't tell Light I'm not who I say I am? Oh, yeah... Ryuk isn't on either Light or L's side. I should be safe._  
She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Mrs. Yagami. Where is the restroom?"  
"Oh, it's upstairs; second door on the right."  
"Thank you." She stood up and made her way upstairs. Instead of heading to the bathroom, she went to Light's room. Making sure to remove the piece of lead from the door hinge, she entered the room. She walked over to his desk and grabbed the bare pen cartridge from the pencil holder and opened the top drawer. She stuck the plastic end into the hole in the bottom of the drawer and pulled up the bottom.  
There it was; the Death Note. She picked it up and stuffed it in her bag, putting everything back into place before leaving to fake going to the bathroom. She even made sure to put the pencil lead back and the door handle the way Light liked it, and the slip of paper. He would never know she was in there.  
"Akiko, we're leaving now," Mrs. Shouto called upstairs.  
"Okay! Coming!" Amanda called back, hurrying downstairs.  
After saying goodbye to the Yagamis, the three left and Amanda returned to the hotel.  
"Did you get it?" Ariel asked as she walked in.  
Amanda grinned and pulled the book out of her bag. "I got it."  
She went into the living area to give the book to L. He seemed relieved to see her, and she didn't quite know why.  
"You did well, Akiko," he said.  
"Yeah, hopefully Light didn't see right through my act."  
"I'm sure he didn't. I was told you're an excellent actress."  
Amanda looked away, feeling her face heat up.  
_Zeus, what is wrong with me?_  
"Akiko, is everything alright?"  
"Yes, Ryuuzaki," she said. "Everything is fine."  
"Your face is red," he mumbled, poking her cheek.  
She whined quietly and slapped his hand away. "No touchie!"  
He leaned closer to her, and her breath caught in her throat.  
"Ayame told me what you said you'd do if you ever met me," he whispered.  
A small whimper-like noise escaped from Amanda's lips. What was he getting at? Was he flirting with her? Was L flirting with her?  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about..." she stuttered, glaring at Emily—who acted innocent.  
When she looked back at L, she saw that his usual straight face had shifted into a mischievous smile.  
"Why... Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, mocking her tone.  
"You're scaring me, Ryuuzaki... Stop it..." She leaned away from him, but he only leaned closer.  
He kept leaning closer, until their noses were touching when Amanda finally screamed, "STOP IT, PANDA MAN!" and pushed him away. She then huffed and crossed her arms, staring forward with a false angry face.  
Of course, unfortunately for Amanda, L was just as stubborn as she was, and he seemed to find amusement in her reactions to his advances—whether the advances were fake or genuine. His hand slid down her back and across her lower back until it resided on her hip. She sucked in a sharp breath and bit her lip hard.  
"I'm going to murder you, Ryuuzaki."  
"You can try, Akiko."  
_Oh my god!_ Ariel thought. _He's actually messing around with her! Lets just hope he doesn't get jumped..._  
As soon as those words were thought, Amanda lunged at L, knocking both of them to the floor. He struggled against her, but she managed to pin him down.  
"Good luck, Ryuuzaki. I outweigh you by twenty pounds, therefore I am stronger," Amanda said.  
Ariel was dead at that point.  
L jerked his arm, and since Amanda had all her weight on her arms, she lost balance and fell, once again coming face-to-face with the man under her. This time their faces were just inches apart, and Amanda's dark hair hid them from view. Anyone just walking in would have thought they were doing... something...  
Speaking of, the door opened and in came poor Matsuda.  
"Hey, guys. Chief wanted to—uh..."  
Amanda looked up at Matsuda, down at L, then back up at Matsuda before turning red and rolling off L.  
"...wasn't what it looked like..." she squeaked.  
"Um... Anyways, Chief wanted to talk to the girls," Matsuda said.  
When Amanda didn't move, Ariel sighed and got up, grabbing her arm and dragging her out with Emily.  
**_(Longest chapter, yeah whoop! I think L was a bit OOC in this chapter but I love messing with poor Amanda... Oh, and poor Touta for walking in on that...)_**


	10. 10 - Emily

On the day we were to broadcast the answer, April 22—also Amanda's birthday—we woke to a platter of cookie and cream cupcakes.  
_Amanda's favorite_, I thought. _Smooth, Ryuuzaki._  
"Happy birthday, Miss Akiko," Watari said.  
"Yes, happy birthday, Akiko-san," L also said.  
"You didn't have to..." Amanda mumbled awkwardly, shying away into the hoodie Watari had gotten her yesterday.  
How many times had she said that in the past four days?  
"Like I have previously stated, I figured it would be a nice way to thank you for your efforts."  
"Come on, Akiko." I picked up a cupcake and waved it in Amanda's face, "You can't resist cookies and cream."  
"Screw you..." Amanda took the cupcake from me and nom-ed it down.  
"If I go for one, will I be bitten?"  
My cousin shook her head, and Ariel reached for a cupcake, watching her carefully.  
"So, Ryuuzaki," I asked, "were you able to match the handwriting?"  
"Yes, I was," L replied, turning around in his chair to look at me. He likes to do that, it seems.  
"Is it enough to get Light arrested? I mean, we all know Chief Yagami would fight for his son," Ariel said.  
"Yeah, they're both pretty stubborn," Amanda added.  
"Coming from you," I muttered, earning myself a slap upside the head.  
"At least she didn't smash your head into the table," Ariel told me.  
"That's next." Amanda grinned evilly at me, and I got up and ran.  
As I opened the door to flee, I collided with Aizawa and fell backwards.  
Oh, baka, now I'm double dead...  
_Why do I do that? _I though. _Baka doesn't mean what I'm using it as—now's not the time, you idiot!_  
Wide-eyed, I backed away.  
"S-Sorry, Aizawa-san!" I squeaked.  
"It's okay, Ayame-san," he said, although his tone told me he wanted to strangle me.  
I rolled over and crawled over to L, hiding against the side of his chair and tugging on his pant leg.  
"Can I help you?" he asked, looking down at me.  
"Save me! Aizawa and Akiko are going to kill me!"  
Ariel decided to come to my rescue instead, and asked Amanda to go get mochi ice cream with her. I almost laughed at the enthusiasm in her voice; Ariel really loves mochi.  
Amanda agreed to go with her and Aizawa only came to inform L that they were writing up an arrest warrant for Light, so it was only me and L.  
"So, what about the Second Kira?" I asked.  
"I know you know more than I do," he said.  
"That's true." I shrugged. "She'll be dangerous to confront. She has the eyes."  
"Who do you think would be brave enough to try?"  
"Akiko for sure." L tensed, but I barely noticed. "She really hates the Second Kira; I know she'll do it."  
"Would you really let your cousin risk her life?" he asked.  
"What's that tone, Ryuuzaki?" I teased. "Is that worry? Are you worried for Akiko?"  
His dark eyes narrowed at me. "I'll admit it, I am worried for Akiko's life. She's too young and bright to throw her life away for a case like this."  
"Do you like her, Ryuuzaki? No, don't give me that look. You know which way I mean."  
When he didn't respond, I chose to be more specific, "Do you love her?"  
Again, he was silent, but this wasn't the usual _I-don't-want-to-answer_ silence, this was the _the-answer-is-yes-but-I-don't-want-to-say-so_ silence.  
"Oh. My. God. You do! You love her! You love Akiko!"  
The look he gave me told me to shut up or he would kill me.  
Why do I make everyone want to murder me?  
"I won't tell, I promise."  
"Somehow I doubt that," he muttered.  
"Don't worry. I'm trustworthy."  
He looked skeptical, but he nodded. "I trust you."  
"Yay!" I cheered.  
L and I were alone for at least two hours before Amanda and Ariel returned, so we talked. I asked him a lot about Wammy's, as I assumed we would be there a while. He asked about my relation to Amanda, and how we knew Ariel. I told him Amanda was only my babysitter at first, but then we found out we were cousins, and Ariel had been a friend of Amanda's since middle school. He was also curious about Amanda's infatuation with him. I explained that Amanda had looked up to him from the start, and she developed a crush on him along the way (I'm pretty sure Amanda is going to kill me for sharing that).  
I then got the iPad I had been issued by my school, and showed him the fanart of him I had on there—making sure to avoid the two of him sleeping and the one of him taking his shirt off, 'cause lets face it, how creepy would that be?  
"How many pictures do you have?" he asked.  
"I have a total of one hundred ninety-eight, and one hundred thirteen of them are of you," I said.  
"Should I be uncomfortable or flattered?"  
"Both."  
"I see..."  
"Hey, guys!" Ariel's voice coming from the doorway made me jump.  
"Hey, Akane," I replied.  
"How's it goin'?" she asked.  
"Eh. I showed Ryuuzaki the pictures of him on my iPad."  
"You did what now?" Amanda asked incredulously.  
"You heard me. But don't worry, I didn't show him the ones you drooled over."  
"I don't drool over guys!" she yelled. Ariel shushed her.  
"I was kidding! Don't kill me!"  
She came at me anyways, but Ariel stuck out her foot and tripped her.  
"Ugh, fuck you, Akane!"  
"Save that for Ryuuzaki," Ariel teased.  
Amanda then wailed in embarrassment and covered her face with her hands. I laughed at her.  
"Oh! Ryuuzaki!"  
"Yes, Akane?"  
"Isn't it time for the broadcast?"  
I gave Ariel a confused look, but then I remembered. Oh...  
"You are correct." L turned on the TV and changed it to the proper channel.  
The sloppily-written 'Kira' showed up on the screen, and the broadcast started.  
**_(I think now that we don't have to follow the plot (I was mad at Amanda at first, but I'm a little relieved now), the chapters are getting easier to write... I think the story may be drawing to a close, but we may write another one. *wink wink* Oh, and I'd like to apologize (under the threat of my life by Ariel) to Matsuda for traumatizing him like that... I was too scared to see how Yagami or Aizawa to react, and Ukita was dead, and I think Ide left, so that left you... Sorry, buddy!)_**


	11. 11 - Amanda

"Akiko..."  
"Ugh, go away, Ryuuzaki..."  
"No, I'm bored."  
"Wow." I forced myself up. "You _are_ childish."  
"You're the one who still watches cartoons," L stated.  
"Mhm, but I really don't care." I got up to go change.  
"Akiko?"  
"Yeah, Ryuuzaki?"  
"What did Yagami want the other day?"  
"He asked us a few questions," I said. "He wanted to make sure we were _positive_ his son was Kira before they arrested him."  
"And how did you prove it?" L appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, where I was brushing my hair.  
I set the brush down and tied my hair back. "I showed him the Death Note. He recognized his son's handwriting immediately."  
"How did he react?" L asked, leaning against the counter.  
I sighed. "Not very good... Now, out of my way. I have to find my shoes..." I pushed past him and began the search for my boots.  
_I wonder if Ryuk will make an appearance? Man, I hope so._  
"Cute shirt."  
"Wha—?" I turned around and looked at L, then down at my shirt. _Oh. Powerpuff Girls._  
"I love this shirt, don't judge me," I said.  
"I'm not judging you," he replied, a hint of amusement mixed with his usual monotone.  
"Yes you are, jerk! I hear it in your voice!"  
"_Well, your shirt isn't the only thing that's cute..._"  
"What?"  
"What?"  
I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "Whatever... I'll be back later..."  
"Where are you going?" He asked.  
"To meet with Second Kira... We 'bumped' into her at a cafe and started talking and she wanted to take us shopping so I saw it as the perfect opportunity to reel her in..."  
"Where are you going afterwards?"  
"We're taking her to the hotel across town, so she doesn't catch on," I said.  
L looked skeptical, but he nodded. "Good luck."  
"Thanks." I waved to him, before grabbing my iPod and leaving.  
I met Ariel and Emily at the elevator, and we went down to the lobby and exited the hotel. We joined up with Misa at the café.  
"Ayame, Akane, Akiko! Hi!" She jumped up and forcefully hugged Emily and Ariel, but I sidestepped before she could touch me.  
"Ready to go?" I asked.  
"You bet!" she said.  
We went to so many shops I lost count. I feel really bad though, 'cause since we had spent all our money buying necessities, Misa had to pay for most of the stuff. She said she didn't mind, but I still felt bed.  
Which I find odd, because I hate her.  
We were out for about four hours, and then we took Misa to the hotel we were supposedly staying at. When we got up to the room, I noticed someone sitting on the couch.  
Said someone was occupied with strawberry shortcake.  
"Ryuuzaki! What are you doing here?"  
"Hmm?" He looked up at me. "Ah, Akiko. I just thought I'd visit."  
"Hey, you're Light's friend, aren't you? What are you doing visiting Akiko?" Misa asked.  
"I am also a friend of Akiko's," L answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
"A friend, eh?" Misa turned to me, raising an eyebrow.  
"Not-Not like that," I stuttered.  
"She wishes it were like that," I heard Ariel mumble behind me.  
I turned around and karate chopped her right on a pressure point. She yelped in pain and fell backwards.  
Misa, seemingly oblivious to what just happened, kept going. "Do you like Ryuuzaki, Akiko?"  
I felt my face heat up. "N-No..."  
"Liar." Misa grinned.  
I grit my teeth. I'm going to kill you...  
"So, Misa, when did you last speak to Light?" Emily asked.  
_You idiot, what are you doing?!_  
"Yesterday, why?" Misa looked confused, and I suddenly realized where my cousin was headed.  
"He was arrested for being Kira, and you are suspected as—no, we _know_ you're the second Kira."  
"What... What are you saying?"  
"We're saying you're arrested," L said, rising from the chair.  
I remembered that Rem was following Misa, and she'd kill any threat to her.  
If L makes the move, he will certainly be killed.  
I had to act fast, so I quickly made myself angry.  
"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" I screamed. I was bullshitting, of course. "HIROKAZU WAS ONLY DOING HIS JOB AND YOU KILLED HIM!"  
Emily and Ariel looked frightened, as well as Misa... L... He didn't seem phased...  
I took a threatening step toward Misa, and she took a step back.  
"I don't care if I get arrested," I said in a low, dangerous voice. "I _will_ avenge my brother."  
She stared at me with wide eyes. "A-Akiko... Stop it..."  
I smiled eerily. "No way."  
I swung at her and my fist collided with her face, knocking her backwards. She stumbled and tripped over her own feet, crashing to the floor.  
Ariel and Emily did nothing to stop me, neither did L.  
As I advanced towards Misa to 'finish her off,' I suddenly couldn't breathe. My hands grasped my neck as I attempted to breathe.  
Everything went fuzzy, and there was a ringing in my ears. I fell to my knees, both hands pressed against the floor.  
I fell to the side, and my vision went black before I hit the floor.  
The last thing I heard was L calling my name.


End file.
